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Perham man arrested for meth-related crimes involving a child

After watching her walk down the hallway to her family's hotel room, a man threw a folded-over styrofoam cup, containing a suspicious little red baggie, into the room in front of a 16-year-old girl.

The bag, which was later discovered to contain .2 grams of powdered methamphetamine, immediately aroused suspicion from the girl. According to police records, the girl ran to report the incident to her mother who was in the pool area.

The incident occurred at Perham's new Crossings Inn and Suites, located just off of Highway 10. Both the suspect, 27-year-old James Allen Bettin of Perham, and the juvenile victim were staying at the hotel when the events unfolded on Monday night, December 29.

Perham police were first notified of the situation at the hotel around 8:30 p.m. When Perham Police Officer Mike Christopherson and a deputy with the Otter Tail County Sheriff's Office entered Bettin's hotel room, he was described as "twitchy" and unable to sit still while being questioned.

While searching Bettin's pockets, Christopherson discovered a piece of a red baggie matching a piece missing from the baggie that was thrown into the victim's hotel room. The suspect allegedly admitted that the powder in the bag was meth.

Law enforcement also discovered marijuana paraphernalia in Bettin's vehicle. After he was arrested for possession of methamphetamine, Bettin was taken to the hospital to be checked by a doctor. While at the hospital, officers were able to confirm that the substance in the baggie was meth.

Bettin was then transported to the Otter Tail County Detention Facility, and an incident report was filed with the County Attorney's Office. Bettin faces the following suggested charges: 5th degree controlled substance (meth); trespassing; and methamphetamine-related crimes involving a child.

According to the police report, the victim stated that after noticing Bettin in the hallway, she grew nervous and hurried into her room, quickly shutting the door behind her. Before the door closed, Bettin managed to throw the styrofoam cup, containing the drug, into the room ahead of the girl.